Voice
by melodiouslynocturne
Summary: Zexion hears a voice singing on the breeze. He's been hearing it for weeks, and he wants to know who it belongs to.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: My, it's been a while, hasn't it? I hope you all had a lovely holiday and New Years!_

_I don't own the characters, just the story. Characters property of Square Enix._

_Italics are an instant messaging chat._

* * *

><p>A soft voice filled my head. A soft, sweet voice. It filled my ears, my body, dragging me out of my thoughts. The evening air had previously been silent but for my puffy breath and the occasional passing of a car, and the light hum that escaped me every so often. The cold wind carried the voice towards me. I froze as the voice grew louder; it seemed familiar to me in the way that reading a classic novel already feels familiar before you've even started. The cold winter air rushed past me as the voice wafted towards me. Closer, closer, closer with every passing moment. For all I knew, the person belonging to the voice could have been five feet behind me and wouldn't have known.<p>

"You didn't have to offer your hand. Cause since I've kissed it I am at your command. But you did."

The first set of clear words drifted towards me. I had thought the song sounded familiar, but having previously only caught a word or two stretched over the wind, I couldn't be sure. "Oh, Turpentine ease me whole."

"Cause I-"

"Don't want to live my life alone." I completely froze.

"Well I-"

"Was waiting for you all my life."

There was utter silence following the phrase. Had the singer left? Did they not know the rest? I did my best to stay solidly frozen; the less noise I made and the harder I strained my ear, the more likely I would be to hear the voice. And yet…

Nothing.

Not a sound drifted through the winter air. I strained and strained and strained and strained, and yet… Nothing. I sighed and picked up my viola case, having dropped it in the snow and headed towards home.

"Mum! I'm home!" I shouted through the house, stamping the frozen show off my shoes.

A lady poked her head out an archway. "Ah! Hello! My, you're home late. Do you want anything to eat Zexion?"

"No thanks, mum." I said, moving to the stairs. "We grabbed something to eat." I could feel her eyes on the back of my head as I walked up the stairs. "I promise I'm eating, mum. The receipt is in my jacket pocket. Inside left." Her mad scrambling to my jacket elicited a chuckle from me as I entered the room I shared with my cousin, Riku.

"Hey bro." He said, turning he full-bodied nakedness towards me.

I rolled my eyes. He was one of those type who strolled around in his birthday suit just to say he did, and frankly, it was getting old. "Would you please put clothes on, at least a pair of pants? I don't want to see your penis every time I walk into my room." I asked politely as I could muster. Surely it came out harshly, but I could honestly care less: it was almost 11 and I needed to be up in 6 hours to be at rehearsal for 6:30. I sat down at the computer and closed the copious tabs of porn while he dug around for something to wear. "Do you masturbate all day, or do you have a job?" I drawled, signing into my email.

"Actually," Zip_. _"I got into that college on 111th, so I'll be starting there tomorrow." He sighed heavily, flopping onto his small hide-a-bed. "Looks like no more all day porn for me."

"I wasn't being serious, but-" My eyes flickered back to the screen, hunting rapidly for the familiar buzz. "Mum's got food downstairs. Go be a pig." I said directly into the screen.

The straining of old springs groaned from behind me. "Why? Your boyfriend online?" His footsteps and strong body odor lurked towards me.

I spun around."Firstly, he's neither my boyfriend nor my type, and second, I don't interrupt you when you have your computer time. Hell, the only thing I've said was keep it down a little. Go away." He huffed and left as I spun back around, cracking my knuckles.

_Zexion: Hey Demyx._

_demyx: hey zexy! what took you so long?_

_Zexion: :rolls eyes: We decided to go out to grab a bite to eat after practice. Told you I'd be home before midnight, didn't I?_

_demyx: true... how was it?_

_Zexion: The practice or the food?_

_demyx: lol the practice._

_Zexion: Pretty good. Everyone's stressed out since we're playing the New Years Eve festival in 5 days so they all keep fucking up, but it still sounds good._

_demyx: good! i'm excited to hear it._

_Zexion: You'll love it._

_Zexion: Oh! You'll never guess what happened on my way back._

_demyx: uh... you were mugged by a homeless man who ended up being your long lost uncle, so you brought him home to get riku, but riku had already run off with the priest's son/daughter?_

_Zexion: I totally wish. That would be amazing!_

_demyx: bet whatever actually happened wasn't as good._

_Zexion: Decide for yourself. You know how I keep telling you about that guy who's been singing in the hallways at school and has that amazing voice?_

_demyx: i don't think you'd let me forget._

_Zexion: Well, I heard him in the park on the way home._

_demyx: no way!_

_Zexion: I know! And guess what he was singing this time?_

_demyx: dancing queen?_

_demyx: beside me?_

_demyx: the teenage mutant ninja turtles theme?_

_Zexion: Demyx! -.- Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffes!_

_demyx: ...what song?_

_Zexion: You know, the one by that band I was telling you about at lunch?_

_Zexion: Anyways, I was walking home and I heard it and something compelled me to sing the next phrase. Then he sang. And then I did. And then he did. And then me. And the it was silent._

_Zexion: Demyx?_

_demyx: humm? you're done talking now?_

_Zexion: Be excited with me._

_demyx: like omg zexy! some mystery guy was singing your favorite song by some no name band! you should hunt him down from the no name band fansite and totally get with him!_

_Zexion: Really, Demyx? Really?_

_demyx: oh, don't forget the girlish squeal at the end and the flailing._

_demyx: couldn't it have just been a coincidence?_

_Zexion: Unlikely. As you said, they're a relatively no name band, at least in this area, and the only person who knows they're my favorite is you._

_Zexion: Was it you?_

_demyx: pssh. it was taco night._

_Zexion: Take that as a no._

_Zexion: Then they must have overheard us at lunch._

_demyx: you're hot on the trail holmes. i gotta hit the sack, so don't go killing my dog again._

_Zexion: Elementary, my dear Watson. I shall try my best._

_Zexion: Night._

_demyx: night._

I shut the computer down, changed into my pyjamas, and crawled tiredly into bed. Downstairs in the kitchen, I could hear Riku already complaining about college and mum tiredly arguing the joys of the situation. I rolled over and gazed out the window and into the night with its glowing moonlight and glittering snowflakes. Somewhere out there was the mystery voice, and I knew I would eventually find him. Eventually, I knew.


	2. Chapter 2

Sleep ended up being a rather hopeless venture on my side. Between the sounds of Riku's "Midnight Ritual" as he liked to call it, and the mystery voice, I got maybe an hour's worth of decent sleep. At the ripe hour of 5, tinny metal sounds exploded from the alarm clock stationed on my desk. I cracked my eyes open just in time to see the dolt roll out of bed, barely flinching and still sleeping. _Hopeless,_ I thought, standing and moving to the bathroom. _He'll never make it to class on time._

6 am on the nose, I was ready to walk out the door. Cursing having early morning practice, I shouldered my backpack and stooped to grab my viola case.

"Zexion! Give me a minute and I'll drive you to practice!" Mum yelled from the kitchen, the corner of her dress floating into the hallway for the briefest of moments. In the meantime, I checked my phone for any new messages. One from Demyx popped up, reading: 'if you hear mystery man again, it isn't me. i'm planning on showing up late to school.'

"Okay Demyx." I chuckled, dropping my phone into my jacket pocket.

"Ready to go?" Mum asked, her face completely flushed and out of breath.

"You look like you ran a mile." I smiled, hopping into the passenger seat of mum's old beat up car. She smirked and reversed out the garage. I stared out the window, past the piles of snow, the bare trees, the empty houses. Past the park that I'd heard the voice. That subtle, full voice… "Mum? Do you think it's a coincidence?"

"Hmm? Is what a coincidence?"

I took a deep breath. "Last night, I heard someone singing in the park. Singing a song I only told Demyx I liked. A song by a relatively unknown band. Do you think it's a coincidence?"

She sat for a moment, eyes firmly on the narrowingly never ending road. Her steady, almost calculated breaths led me to believe she didn't think it was, and also that I'd taken a liking to the voice. Those, I was ninety eight percent sure were going through her head. "You know I don't believe in coincidences, Zexion." She glanced over at me, a look of subtle disbelief painted on my face reflected in her glasses. "I just mean that everything happens for a reason. No, I don't think it's a coincidence. Do I think there's a reasonable explanation? Maybe. I think you should ignore it for now. See if it happens again."

I sighed and turned my head to the window. This voice was going to have most of my attention until I figured out who it came from, attention that could better be used elsewhere. But I had to know. I needed to know.

.:.

I was the first one there; not uncommon, but unusual to say the least. The orchestra was still set from last night, the stage still a complete mess, the audience covered in still drying coats and mittens. The sound of the stage under my shoes echoed loudly under me, the noise both comforting and eerie. I took my seat, spread out my music, and pulled my lovely viola from its case to warm up. Everything about how we sounded together seemed off: the pitch, the intonation, the notes, the rhythm, all of it.

The piano was still in the middle of the stage. I set my viola on my chair and slowly stepped over to it. Rule is no one is to touch the piano unless told to, but, considering I was the only one here, it was a safe bet that I would have enough time to play a song or two. I sat down to the solid instrument, raised the cover on the keys, and played. First, random keys, then chords, then melodies, then the song.

"You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies, lit up the world as I fell asleep." The words flowed organically from me, surprising myself a little.

"Cause they'd fill the open air, and leave teardrops everywhere. You'd think me rude, but I would just stand and stare."

I gasped. He was back. "I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly."

"It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep."

"Cause everything is never as it seems." I stopped playing and stood. Behind me, the auditorium was empty in the dimmed light. Not a seat occupied, not a door open, not a body in the area. "H-hello?" I called out to ease my nerves.

The door to my far right opened, several bodies falling onto the stage. I replaced the lid on the piano and ran back to my seat before anyone noticed me breaking our one and only rule. As they filed into their seats and set out their music, I looked behind us, back into the audience. Again, no one. I had to find him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mr Hendrickx?" Demyx nudged me, nodding to the front of the room.

"Mr Williams." I smiled, turning to my precalculus teacher, desperately trying to hide the fact my eyes were rolling.

He huffed. "Now that I've got your attention, could you enlighten us with the answer to this question?" He pointed to the board, his eyebrow raised. Cocky man thought he'd won this one. I analyzed the question deeply, my eyes squinted slightly. "No answer?" He asked. "Maybe you should pay more at-"

"54 thousand, 9 hundred, and 21." I interrupted him and turned my gaze back towards the window. "16 thousand, 8 hundred, and 12 if you remove the vowels; and 5 thousand and 78 using consonants." An audible gasp filled the air around me, instantly followed by silence as he checked my work.

He nodded smugly. "Pay attention, Mr Hendrickx. Eyes front."

I nodded and shifted my gaze. Math was my least favorite class of the day, especially with that oaf breathing down my neck. I tapped my pencil against the desk, my eyes flicking to the clock. This class couldn't end soon enough. A piece of paper floated across my desk. _whats up spacey?_

_Nothing._ I scratched back and slid the note back to him, shooting him a glare.

The bell rang and the class moved as one, sliding our chairs back and picking up our books. "Mr Hendrickx?" Mr Williams said over the noise. "Stay back a minute."

Demyx glanced at me, his eyes worried. "I'll be fine. I'll meet you in the cafeteria." I muscled my way through to his desk. I stared at the top of his head as the room grew quieter, my classmates pouring into the halls and into the strong current pulling 1200 other students towards the cafeteria. "Sir?" I asked, hopefully drawing his attention.

He raised his head and glanced at me, his pointer fingers pressed to his lips. I rocked backwards slightly; his stare was unnerving, reaching down into the pits of my stomach. "Mr Hendrickx, you are a special man."

"W-what?"

He nodded, smirking. "A very special man. Far beyond your years, at least mathematically. Socially, I doubt that. However, that's not why I asked you to stay behind." I nodded, dubious. "There's something on your mind. I don't know what it is, but you need to keep it out of the classroom. My office door is open to you after school until 5:30, should you want to talk about it."

"Hen- Mr Williams?" A junior knocking on the door asked.

He smiled. "Yes, come in." He turned to me, the smile and lightness gone from his eyes. "You can go."

I nodded and left, turning away from the cafeteria, sticking my earbuds in and hitting play. I didn't want to go there, meet up with my friends; I needed time to think, ponder this worm eating me inside out. Who was my mystery singer? Why were they singing to me? How come they couldn't tell me who they were? I needed to know, rather than jump around the topic as a whole. The who and the how could wait. _Due time,_ I told myself over the thick beat. The why, however, was far more pressing. I couldn't think of any reason why anyone would want to sing to me, unless it were some sick joke placed by a friend. In that case, I earnestly hoped they were being payed well.

I found myself outside the building. Clouds were drifting in front of the sun, foreshadowing a new falling of snow. I drifted meaninglessly, mindlessly around, my feet carrying me. "This is my kingdom come." I muttered breathily.

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's where my demons hide."

I gasped, spinning around, looking through the dense trees my feet had carried me to. "It's where my demons hide." Branches snapped not far from me and I started towards them.

"Don't get to close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide." The sounds backed off, the crunching of snow evident.

"Wait!" I called out. "Who are you?" I followed the footprints out of the trees to an open field, a blacked out silhouette sprinting away from me. I sighed, heading back towards the school. "It's where my demons hide."


End file.
